Wednesday, February 11, 2015

Guitar Fretboard Workbook
Here we go step by step through the creation of major scale
pattern 1 on page 24 (Exercise 12, problem 1).
Hopefully you are a little bit familiar with tablature
(like they use in guitar magazines), so you can understand
the examples that follow.
To create the major scale fingering pattern, you have to
first know some things from previous chapters:
1) The major scale formula: all whole steps except
for half steps from 3-4 and 7-8.
1 2 3^4 5 6 7^8, introduced on page 20.
and
2) How to play whole steps and half steps when
changing strings. (This is covered on page 23 and it's often the
culprit if you're having trouble with the page 24.)
and
3) The root shapes from Chapter 2. Root shapes
underlie EVERYTHING on the neck.
Make sure you're familiar with those 3 things before going on.
The D roots in pattern 1 are on the 2nd string,
3rd fret, and the 5th string, 5th fret. We find
the root shape first and put those circles in.
Here’s how it looks in tablature.
E ---------|
B --3------|
G ---------|
D ---------|
A -----5---|
E ---------|
At this point we have two roots. When building a scale,
the lowest one is the easiest to start from, because it is from
there we can count up the entire major scale formula.
We'll start with the lower root (on the 5th string 5th fret)
as "1." The scale from this note will proceed:
1 2 3^4 5 6 7^8. (Half steps from 3-4 and 7-8.)
Unlike in Chapter 6, we now want to stay put, so the hand
is in position to play the higher root when we get there.
No moving around unless it's really necessary. So, the
lower root ("note 1") should be played on string 5, fret 5,
with the 3rd or 4th finger, because the higher root
is on a lower fret!
The fingering is given below the tablature. LH means "Left Hand."
E ---------|
B ---------|
G ---------|
D ---------|
A --5------|
E ---------|
LH: 3 or 4
The next note is a whole step higher. As we learned on page 23 we can
play a whole step on the next string (string 4) at fret 2.
These two notes can only be played with fingers 4 and 1 if we are
to minimize shifting or stretching. Try it!
E ----------|
B ----------|
G ----------|
D -----2----|
A --5-------|
E ----------|
LH: 4 1
Remember you're looking at tab here. It's different from a
neck diagram---the notes are written in the order you play
them.
Note 3 is a whole step up from note 2. This too can be
played on string 4, with the ring finger at fret 4.
E ----------|
B ----------|
G ----------|
D ----2-4---|
A --5-------|
E ----------|
LH: 4 1 3
Note 4 is a half step from note 3. This is just one fret
higher and so should be played with the pinky finger.
E -----------|
B -----------|
G -----------|
D ----2-4-5--|
A --5--------|
E -----------|
LH: 4 1 3 4
From 4 to 5 is a whole step, so we must ascend to string 3,
three frets down the neck as we did before. So step 5 is on
string 3, fret 2. Index finger.
E -------------|
B -------------|
G ----------2--|
D ----2-4-5----|
A --5----------|
E -------------|
LH: 4 1 3 4 1
5 to 6 is a whole step, which we can play also on string 3,
two frets above the previous note, with the ring finger.
E --------------|
B --------------|
G ----------2-4-|
D ----2-4-5-----|
A --5-----------|
E --------------|
LH: 4 1 3 4 1 3
6 to 7 is a whole step, but we just used our ring finger.
Using the pinky finger on the same string (without
stretching or shifting) will only get us a half step. So we
play note 7 on the 2nd string at fret 2. As shown on page
23 of the book, this gives us a whole step when crossing
from string 3 to string 2.
E ----------------|
B --------------2-|
G ----------2-4---|
D ----2-4-5-------|
A --5-------------|
E ----------------|
LH: 4 1 3 4 1 3 1
From 7 to 8 is a half step, which we can play with the
middle finger on string 2, fret 3.
E ------------------|
B --------------2-3-|
G ----------2-4-----|
D ----2-4-5---------|
A --5---------------|
E ------------------|
LH: 4 1 3 4 1 3 1 2
At this point we have played/drawn one octave's worth of
scale, from D to D. The guitar has more D major scale notes
available in this position beyond what we've drawn. To
continue the scale higher we count up the formula again,
treating note 8 as the new "1."
E ----------------|
B -3--------------|
G ----------------|
D ----------------|
A ----------------|
E ----------------|
From 1 to 2 in the scale is a whole step; a two fret
distance. We play note 2 with our 4th finger at fret 5 of
string 2.
E ----------------|
B -3-5------------|
G ----------------|
D ----------------|
A ----------------|
E ----------------|
LH:2 4
From 2 to 3 in the scale is also a whole step. This is a
3-fret distance down the fretboard when going from string 2
to string 1. Use your index finger for the last note in
this tab.
E -----2----------|
B -3-5------------|
G ----------------|
D ----------------|
A ----------------|
E ----------------|
LH:2 4 1
From 3 to 4 in the scale formula is a half step, a one-fret
distance on the same string. We’ll play it with the
second
finger.
E -----2-3--------|
B -3-5------------|
G ----------------|
D ----------------|
A ----------------|
E ----------------|
LH:2 4 1 2
The highest D major scale note we can reach without
shifting or stretching is the 5th, which is a whole step
above note 4. The little finger plays this at the 5th fret.
E -----2-3-5------|
B -3-5------------|
G ----------------|
D ----------------|
A ----------------|
E ----------------|
LH:2 4 1 2 4
To get the available D major scale notes BELOW the lower
root, we count the major scale formula backward, treating
this low "1" as "8." Again, we'll be counting DOWN the
major scale formula from 8 to 1. 8^7 6 5 4^3 2 1
E ---------|
B ---------|
G ---------|
D ---------|
A --5------|
E ---------|
LH: 4
From 8 to 7 is a half step (one fret when played on the
same string). We can play note 7 on string 5, fret 4, with
the ring finger.
E ---------|
B ---------|
G ---------|
D ---------|
A --5-4----|
E ---------|
LH: 4 3
From 7 to 6 is a whole step. We can play that with the
index finger on fret 2.
E ----------|
B ----------|
G ----------|
D ----------|
A --5-4-2---|
E ----------|
LH: 4 3 1
6 to 5 is a whole step. To follow the "minimize shifting" rule we
have to play this on string 6, at fret 5. Pinky finger.
E -----------|
B -----------|
G -----------|
D -----------|
A --5-4-2----|
E --------5--|
LH: 4 3 1 4
5 to 4 is a whole step. That's two frets down; at fret 3 on
string 6. Play it with your 2nd (middle) finger.
E ------------|
B ------------|
G ------------|
D ------------|
A --5-4-2-----|
E --------5-3-|
LH: 4 3 1 4 2
Finally we can use our index finger to play one last half
step to get from 4 to 3.
E ---------------|
B ---------------|
G ---------------|
D ---------------|
A --5-4-2--------|
E --------5-3-2--|
LH: 4 3 1 4 2 1
When all notes are included, from root to root as well as
those we can reach above or below without shifting, we have
created fingering pattern 1 of the D major scale. All the notes
are shown here, but you should start and finish on either root
when practicing it.
E -----------------------------2-3-5-|
B -----------------------2-3-5-------|
G -------------------2-4-------------|
D -------------2-4-5-----------------|
A -------2-4-5-----------------------|
E -2-3-5-----------------------------|
LH:1 2 4 1 3 4 1 3 4 1 3 1 2 4 1 2 4
I suggest taking a break now, and reviewing this process
and the scale pattern it creates every day for a week or
longer.
When you are clear on it and can play the scale from
memory, start the entire process again with pattern 2 of
the D major scale. The roots are on string 5, fret 5, and
string 3, fret 7. By experimenting with starting with the
1st and 2nd finger you'll find the lower root should be
played with the 2nd finger in order to minimize shifting.
E ---------------|
B ---------------|
G -----7---------|
D ---------------|
A --5------------|
E ---------------|
LH: 2 4
You will find a one-fret shift is required on string 2.
It is unavoidable.
This is the entire resulting Pattern 2 major scale fingering:
E -----------------------------5-7--|
B -----------------------5-7-8------|
G -----------------4-6-7------------|
D -----------4-5-7------------------|
A -----4-5-7------------------------|
E -5-7------------------------------|
Hope this helps, and again, thanks very much for digging into
the Guitar Fretboard Workbook.
Barrett

Wednesday, May 28, 2014

Dear Mr Tagliarino,In the book "Interval Studies and Lead Guitar Technique", you discuss fret hand damping technique - I have a quick question about that.

When bending on the guitar mostly on the high E string, I find that the B string often slides under my bending (ring finger) and then the B string also rings out.

I have been trying to figure out how to stop that. On bends, I touch the B (to mute it) with my index finger, but because the ring finger is fretting a higher fret, the B string still rings out.

I also always mute with my palm, but on a bend, the palm mutes the B string but sometimes also will mute the sound of the E string as it gets bent up.

The only thing that works but it is not so easy is that i try to have my index and middle finger helping to bend the E string but at the same time touching and pushing the B string up and away and helping to keep it from getting under my ring finger and ringing out.

I was wondering how you keep the b string from ringing out?

Thank You so much - I know you are really busy!Azi

Yeah Azi! Great question!

Option 3 is the best way: get under the B string and use the fingertip to push the string out of the way as you bend. It will get better with practice. You need a slight rolling motion so the string catches on your fingertip.

I actually use the same ring finger tip to do both: bend the E string, and move the B string out of the way.

While you're working on it, try adjusting your string action a little bit higher at the bridge, especially for the strings that don't want to cooperate with you (mostly the B). It also helps to have jumbo frets on your guitar - I like Dunlop 6105 frets for bending. You can really get under those strings with the big frets under you.

Wednesday, April 30, 2014

When I started working in LA, the pace was crazy and I'd often get thrown into the deep end. We'd get maybe one or two rehearsals in---sometimes none at all---then start gigging. There'd be lots of mistakes on the first show or two. We just had to play through them (no do-overs allowed of course!) and try to keep the crowd with us.

But I noticed that the mistakes disappeared within just a couple shows. It was nerve-wracking, but the memorization happened much faster there than in my home practice, where I'd play one thing over and over until I thought I had it down cold. This confirmed what I'd been told by my teachers: one hour on a gig is worth ten of rehearsal.

But the research suggests that it's not just the high-pressure environment that makes you learn faster. It's the interleaving-induced forgetting and remembering.

If you have 30 new charts to memorize by Saturday, the traditional approach would be to take all day, going over each chart several times in a row, until you can play it perfectly from short-term memory, probably spending 30-60 minutes per chart. This, however, is no guarantee that you will remember it on the gig. You'd probably just remember the last few songs you worked on Saturday morning.

With interleaving, you play each song once per session, letting your brain know what its eventual target is. Take about five minutes for each song. You allow yourself to make mistakes, because you have to move on. Do that with all 30 songs, then sleep on it, and do it again. Force yourself to remember, and relearn what you forgot. It's more effective.

Tuesday, January 28, 2014

Tuesday, December 17, 2013

Hey BarrettI am confused about how to finger the five patterns of major chords in the CAGED system. Especially Pattern 3. It's impossible for my hand to play all these notes cleanly.David

Hi David,

(For those reading, here is tablature for Pattern 3: the "G" shape. I am using it to outline a C major chord at the 5th fret.)

-8--5--5--5--7--8-

Don't worry about playing it all at once using all 6 strings. You will rarely (if ever) need to play the whole shape at once.

Each of the five major chord shapes in the CAGED system is essentially a multiple-use tool that you need to recognize as a single entity.

Think about a more familiar multi-use tool. For example, a claw hammer is good for driving nails, and it also has a claw for pulling nails. It is good for both the hammer head and the claw to be available on the same handle, but you'd only rarely need to use both sides at once. Of course, you still identify the entire thing as one tool.

The chord shape works the same way. Depending on the song, you might use the bottom two notes only:

-----------------7---8--

or the top three notes only:-8---5---5--------------

or any other combination; for example, strings 5, 4, and 3:---------5---5---7------

All of these are identified as part of the overall Pattern 3 shape, which spells C major when played at the fret numbers shown.

Saturday, November 2, 2013

I have been working through your "Guitar Fretboard Workbook" for almost a year now. I really enjoy your method and have learned so much. I have seen other books where the authors use 5 patterns or root shapes to map out the fretboard as you do in this book. For example, "(title)" from (author), has this on page 4 of his book. However, when I saw this I became confused because his "pattern 3" is your "pattern 1" and his pattern 5 is your pattern 2, etc. He states that he defines his patterns based on the Key of C (6th string root note of C). I would be happy to email you a copy of this page if you would like to comment. I simply want to learn the correct way, if there is only one correct way that is.

Thank you,
Keith

Hi Keith,Thanks for getting this book and working with it. I'm glad it's helping you.The numbering system it uses can in some ways be considered arbitrary, as you correctly imply. However the system as it is in GFW is more common and increasing in popularity with most teachers over time.The numbers correlate to CAGED, the open position chords that each successive shape resembles as you move C roots up the neck starting from open position.C = 1A = 2etcIf you play a pattern 2 C chord (barre chord at the 3rd fret, root on string 5) you will see it corresponds to an open-position A chord.I'm sure you understand this and just want to make sure that this method of numbering is more useful. In fact either way could conceivably work just as well in the abstract. But if you consider that more guitars players you converse with in the future will use this method than most others, it's the way to go.Just as if 100,000 years ago we all had started using the word "blue" to refer to what we know now as "red," we'd all be in agreement and the result would be the same: clear thought and communication.For guitar players, that historical neanderthal moment is now!Thanks again,Barrett